Dpcm Data Compression Using Compressed Data Tags

1. An electronic device, comprising: processing circuitry comprising: a buffer configured to receive a stream of packets, each packet having a processed video data portion and a page count portion associated with the processed video data portion, wherein the processed video data portion is a result of a modulo operation performed on a word of video data, wherein the page count portion is a data page number on which the word of video data is to be placed; a data packer configured to read each packet from the buffer, and to generate from each an output packet comprising the processed video data portion and a data tag portion; wherein the data tag portion is associated with, but does not directly represent, the data page number on which the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion, or the word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next packet, is to be placed; wherein each data tag portion contains fewer bits than each corresponding page count portion; and a transmission chain coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to transmit each output packet.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data packer generates from each packet read from the buffer an output packet consisting of the processed video data portion and a tag portion; and wherein the data tag portion does not contain bits unassociated with the data page number on which the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the next packet is to be placed.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the buffer is a FIFO buffer such that a first packet of the stream of packets written into the FIFO buffer is a first packet read out of the FIFO buffer by the data packer.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each output packet contains half a number of bits as each corresponding packet.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the page count portion comprises first and second byte portions; wherein the modulo operation comprises a modulo 16 operation; and wherein the first and second byte portions represent first and second page counter bit portions.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the page count portion comprises six bits; and wherein the modulo operation comprises a modulo 64 operation.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits instructing that a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of the given output packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next output packet is to be placed on a data page immediately subsequent to a current data page.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits instructing that a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of the given output packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next output packet is to be placed on a data page immediately precedent to a current data page.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next output packet, instruct that a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of the given output packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of an output packet after the next output packet is to be placed on a data page between 2 and N data pages subsequent to a current data page.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the control bits of the next output packet instruct that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given output packet or the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the output packet after the next output packet is to be placed on a data page subsequent to the current data page by a number directly represented in the processed video data portion of the next output packet.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein N is less than 16.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next output packet, instruct that a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of the given output packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of an output packet after the next output packet is to be placed on a data page between 2 and N data pages preceding to a current data page.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the control bits of the next output packet instruct that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given output packet or the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the output packet after the next output packet is to be placed on a data page precedent to the current data page by a number directly represented in the processed video data portion of the next output packet.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein N is less than 16.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next output packet and of a data portion of an output packet subsequent to the next output packet, instruct that a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of the given output packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of an output packet after the output packet subsequent to the next output packet is to be placed on a data page directly represented in the processed video data portion of the next output packet and the output packet subsequent to the next output packet.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next output packet and of a data portion of an output packet subsequent to the next output packet, instruct that the processed video data portion of the next output packet and the output packet subsequent to the next output packet contain a control command for a receiver.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the transmission chain comprises: at least one register storing at least one of setup bits and cyclic redundancy check bits; a ring buffer coupled to receive the setup bits and the cyclic redundancy check bits, and each output packet from the data packer; an output buffer coupled to receive each output packet from the ring buffer; and a transmitter coupled to receive each data packet from the output buffer.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the transmission chain further comprises a state machine configured for reconfiguring each output packet into a format suitable for a high level transmit protocol.

19. An electronic device, comprising: a receiver chain configured to receive a stream of input packets, each input packet comprising a processed video data portion and a data tag portion, the processed video data portion being a result of a modulo operation performed on a word of video data, the data tag portion being associated with, but not directly representing, a data page number on which a word of video data associated with the processed video data portion, or a processed video data portion of a next input packet, is to be placed, wherein each data tag portion contains fewer bits than each corresponding page count portion; and a data unpacker configured to read each input packet from the receiver chain, and to generate from each input packet an unpacked packet comprising the processed video data portion and a page count portion, wherein the page count portion directly represents the data page number.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the data tag portion of a given input packet contains control bits instructing that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given input packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next input packet is to be placed on a data page immediately subsequent to a current data page.

21. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the data tag portion of a given input packet contains control bits instructing that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given input packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next input packet is to be placed on a data page immediately precedent to a current data page.

22. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the data tag portion of a given input packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next input packet, instruct that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given input packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of an input packet after the next input packet is to be placed on a data page between 2 and N data pages subsequent to a current data page.

23. The electronic device of claim 22 , wherein the control bits of the next input packet instruct that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given input packet or the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the input packet after the next input packet is to be placed on a data page subsequent to the current data page by a number directly represented in the processed video data portion of the next input packet.

24. The electronic device of claim 22 , wherein N is less than 16.

25. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the data tag portion of a given input packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next input packet, instruct that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given input packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of an input packet after the next input packet is to be placed on a data page between 2 and N data pages preceding to a current data page.

26. The electronic device of claim 25 , wherein the control bits of the next input packet instruct that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given input packet or the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the input packet after the next input packet is to be placed on a data page precedent to the current data page by a number directly represented in the processed video data portion of the next input packet.

27. The electronic device of claim 26 , wherein N is less than 16.

28. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the data tag portion of a given input packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next input packet and of a data portion of an input packet subsequent to the next input packet, instruct that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given input packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of an input packet after the input packet subsequent to the next input packet is to be placed on a data page directly represented in the processed video data portion of the next input packet and the input packet subsequent to the next input packet.

29. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the data tag portion of a given input packet contains control bits that, in conjunction with control bits of a data portion of a next input packet and of a data portion of an input packet subsequent to the next input packet, instruct that the processed video data portion of the next input packet and the input packet subsequent to the next input packet contain a control command for the receiver chain.

30. A method, comprising: receiving a stream of packets into a buffer, each packet having a processed video data portion and a page count portion, wherein the processed video data portion is a result of a modulo operation performed on a word of video data, wherein the page count portion is a data page number on which the word of video data is to be placed; read each packet from the buffer, and generate from each an output packet comprising the processed video data portion and a data tag portion; wherein the data tag portion is associated with, but does not directly represent, the data page number on which the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion, or the word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next packet, is to be placed; wherein each data tag portion contains fewer bits than each corresponding page count portion; and transmit each output packet.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein each output packet contains half a number of bits as each corresponding packet.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the page count portion comprises first and second byte portions; wherein the modulo operation comprises a modulo 16 operation; and wherein the first and second byte portions represent first and second page counter bit portions.

33. The method of claim 30 , wherein the page count portion comprises six bits; and wherein the modulo operation comprises a modulo 64 operation.

34. The method of claim 30 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits instructing that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given output packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next output packet is to be placed on a data page immediately subsequent to a current data page.

35. The method of claim 30 , wherein the data tag portion of a given output packet contains control bits instructing that the word of video data associated with the processed video data portion of the given output packet or a word of video data associated with a processed video data portion of a next output packet is to be placed on a data page immediately precedent to a current data page.